The Wedding
by Betty BOKOR
Summary: SamDaniel. A short story I had to write because of that picture from Season 10. Daniel is the Best Man in Jack and Sam’s wedding, but not everything is as it seems. Now complete with both sides of the story.
1. Chapter 1

**The Wedding** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel is the Best Man in Jack and Sam's wedding, but not everything is as it seems.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 1**

When Jack told Daniel he had finally decided to ask Sam to marry him, Daniel was happy for both of them. Though it was one of the few subjects he had never been able to broach with Sam, he had witnessed enough of her relationship with Jack over the years to know there was something there. He knew from Jack that they had never gone beyond the longing looks and the silent encouragement, but he was certain that Sam would welcome the chance to go further, especially if what Jack offered was what she had been looking for all along since the days when she agreed to date Pete: the possibility of having a family of her own, of completing that side of her life that seemed to have been abandoned for so long while the soldier and the scientist matured.

For others, it could seem like a rushed decision to go from looks to marriage, but, when feelings were as deep as the ones that developed inside SG-1, Daniel understood the hurry.

He expected Sam to come running to his office the next day to give him the good news, but nothing happened. Later that day, he dared to call Jack and ask. He was relieved when his friend told him Sam had accepted his proposal and they had even started planning a simple and prompt wedding. He was surprised when Jack added that they would keep it a secret for as long as possible. Daniel understood the desire for secrecy, just not that Sam included him in it.

The problems began later that week when he, at last, admitted to himself that there was something about the whole idea of the wedding that bothered him very deeply. The same way he applied himself to extricate the meaning of obscure hieroglyphs on a tablet, he spent the weekend analyzing his feelings. The conclusion of his self-exam surprised him more than any ancient secret could have. While he was happy that Jack had finally decided to leave his fears behind and try again at having a family, he was not equally happy that he had chosen Sam to do it. The reason behind that thought was even more disconcerting; he would have preferred Sam to still be free and for him to have a chance with her. He had to admit to himself that over the years he had held Sam as the standard to which compare every other woman he had met and none had passed the test. He really wanted the original. The idea that everything was about to change and that he would probably lose the closeness he had with Sam, especially if she moved to Washington, made him experience a kind of fear he had never known.

He recognized it was only his fault and nobody else's that he had missed that opportunity. He had been by Sam's side for years while she was still unattached and when perhaps she could have been open to a different possibility. The fact that she had always been there was one of the reasons why he had not needed to explore his feelings for her. Even during the time when she was dating Pete he had not felt threatened by him; he knew in his heart that Sam would not change what she had at the SGC for him.

For days he chastised himself for having been so blind to his true feelings for Sam, but he concluded there was nothing that could be done now. It was too late. Sam had exactly what she wanted and Jack was going to be happy. He had to be happy for them.

A week later, Sam invited him and Teal'c to dinner and gave them the good news. Teal'c congratulated her in his impassive way, but kept a discreet look on Daniel as his friend showed his enjoyment at the news. Teal'c knew Daniel probably better than anyone else. Jack had been a good friend to Daniel longer, but Teal'c had had the open mind necessary to see beyond the words and expressions of the archeologist. Hours of shared Kel'no'reem and conversations that reached deeply into their thoughts and feelings had taught him everything he needed to know about Daniel. Now, sitting by his side as he smiled at Sam, he could see that Daniel was genuinely happy at her joy, but that there was also a hidden pain he was not willing to share.

After they left Sam's house, Teal'c used the direct approach that had always given him best results and asked Daniel point blank if he had considered the possibility of telling Sam about his feelings for her. Daniel's surprise did not last long; he should have known that Teal'c would have noticed, even when he did not. He carefully explained his reasons for not telling her and, though he disagreed with them, Teal'c consented to keep it to himself.

In the following days Daniel helped Sam carry out most of her wedding plans. Hiding his sadness, he sat through countless hours of dress fittings and bridal registry filling, among many other tasks. He felt that he was as much the Maid of Honor as the Best Man for Sam and Jack, but with Cassie still busy in school, he did not mind filling in for her.

Two more weeks had passed before Daniel noticed for the first time that there was something wrong with Sam. He could not pinpoint exactly what it was, but he knew her too well not to feel her discontent. He tried to probe her to find out the source of her stress, but his own feelings got in the way and he remained clueless.

After Jack flew into town for a weekend, Sam seemed to have solved all her problems and a few days later Daniel received an odd invitation from Sam's brother, Mark, announcing the wedding of his sister but naming no groom. Besides the breach of protocol that the invitation meant, there was also the weird feeling that Jack and Sam were taking the secrecy of their engagement to the extreme.

The day of the wedding, Daniel reluctantly got into the tuxedo Jack had "ordered" him to wear when he accepted the offer to be his Best Man. He looked in the mirror and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Logically they had to be there after he had spent the whole night turning in his bed, unable to sleep. While he was still lost in thought, Vala knocked at the door and entered the room without waiting for a response. She looked radiant in her bridesmaid's dress. Daniel was still surprised that Sam had asked her to be in her wedding party along with Cassie, the Maid of Honor, especially because he had not seen their relationship get that close.

Vala noticed the tired look on Daniel's face immediately and got an array of make-up bottles and tubes from her bag to try to fix his appearance. He complained as much as he could, but, after looking at the mirror again, he realized it would be far easier to hide his frustration with his newly improved face.

When he finally reached the garden, he got his first look at the small group of friends and co-workers who had gathered to witness the wedding. He walked toward the altar holding Cassie by the arm, followed by Teal'c and Vala and Cameron with Carolyn Lam. As he stood waiting for Jack to join them, he tapped into the happiness that it gave him that Sam and Jack were going to get what they wanted and got a smile on his face.

Cam whispered that Mark Carter had been unable to make it to Colorado on time and for that reason Jack had decided to walk directly with Sam to the altar. Though unusual, it was not unheard of bride and groom making their entrance together and, considering how atypical the whole event had been until then, Daniel just smiled again and settled himself to wait for them.

The first thing Daniel noticed when the two finally appeared at the end of the garden aisle, besides Sam's radiant smile, was that Jack was wearing a simple suit, nothing elaborate, no tux. He wondered what had driven Jack to force him to wear one when he was not going to do it himself. He turned around and noticed that Teal'c and Cameron were in suits matching Jack's and he felt perplexed. He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had not noticed before.

Jack guided Sam to her spot in front of the altar and then turned toward Daniel and stretched out his hand.

"Daniel," he said in an inviting tone and with a smile.

Daniel felt disoriented for a second and then decided Jack was asking for the rings he was keeping. He got them out of his jacket pocket and put them in Jack's hand. His friend closed his hand around them while at the same time he grabbed Daniel's hand and pulled him towards Sam. Daniel complied, confused as to what was going on. This had not happened in the rehearsal. As soon as he was standing by Sam's side, Jack whispered, "She's all yours. You'd better make her happy, Spacemonkey."

Daniel turned to Sam who was now holding his hand. He asked without a word and she leaned softly toward him and said very quietly, "You told me once that in leap years, women could propose marriage to the men they loved. I know it's not leap year, but you're the man I love, so, would you marry me?"

Daniel opened his mouth as he always did when he could not find words for what he was witnessing. He managed to nod softly and squeezed Sam's hand as he turned around and faced the priest. He would have a long conversation with Jack later, and probably with Teal'c, too, but he was too elated to think about that right then. He just had to enjoy the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Wedding** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel is the Best Man in Jack and Sam's wedding, but not everything is as it seems.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 2**

When Jack called and said he was in town, Sam felt glad. When he invited her to dinner, she felt very happy. Since he had moved to Washington, there had not been many chances to see each other, but in the last year they had shared at least a dozen outings on their own. She had been to Washington twice and he had come to Colorado −with one excuse or another− once every two months. Though they had not gone beyond sharing a meal or watching a game, Sam had enjoyed the extra attention. She knew Jack always spent time with Daniel and Teal'c whenever he was in town, but, somehow, she felt it was different with her.

When that night Jack suddenly proposed her to marry him, she was ecstatic. He explained that he felt too old to start from dating and he added that they both knew each other too well to have need of normal courting. Sam was stunned, but after a few seconds of going over the idea in her mind, she accepted giddily.

By the time they got back into his rental car and started driving toward her house, the idea of marrying Jack did not seem as brilliant as it had a few hours before. As soon as he parked in her driveway, she asked him to keep their good news a secret until she felt comfortable enough to share it with others. It was not only because it had been such a sudden decision, but also for the fact that he had not retired yet and that many could think that they had been dating behind their backs all along.

Jack agreed without much conviction, but he was not really surprised. At least, not as surprised as he was when Sam gave him a kiss and left the car with a "We'll talk more after you're back in Washington." Then, she walked to her front door, opened it and got inside without even turning to look at him.

Jack was dumbfounded. It had taken a lot of courage for him to propose to Sam, especially because he was not even sure that he wanted to be married again. Nevertheless, he had concluded that marriage was probably the only option that she would entertain at this point in her life and he had decided to go ahead and make the offer. He did not want dating, but he did not think that the few kisses they had shared during the evening were good enough signs of how Sam was feeling. He had expected to go further than that, after almost ten years of waiting. He had no idea of how far they could go that night, but he never imagined she would not even invite him inside her house. Though he had to take the earliest flight to Washington the next morning −and Sam knew it− he wanted to believe that she considered him still capable of handling a night without sleep.

When he finally made it to his office the next day, there was a message from Sam on his desk. She simply wanted him to call her. He dialed her number worried that she might have changed her mind, but, when she answered, she sounded happy and ready to make plans. With relief he worked with her until they found the right date for their wedding, a weekend only two months ahead. They wanted to have enough time to get ready, but not too much to avoid the feeling they were dating anyway.

That night, when Daniel called him to ask about the result of his proposal, Jack had to tell him the truth, but he only related the exciting part of the night and not the disappointing end. Daniel sounded very pleased with the news and promised not only to keep the secret until Sam was ready, but to help them in any way he could.

Almost two weeks later, Sam invited Daniel and Teal'c to dinner at her house. She was ready to tell them about her wedding plans and she hoped for her friends' approval. They both gave it to her and offered their support.

During the evening, Sam got the impression that Daniel was bothered by something, but he was trying so hard to hide his discontent, that she decided to respect his privacy and not ask. She would have thought that it was her news that had gotten him upset, but she had noticed his worry even before she started talking about Jack. She also became aware that Teal'c almost constantly kept an eye on Daniel and imagined that he knew what was going on, but with all the talk about her wedding, she quickly forgot about it.

In the next two weeks, Sam enthusiastically dedicated herself to get everything in place for the big day. With Jack tied up with work in Washington, she relied on Daniel and Teal'c to take care of every detail. Daniel was her biggest support. He stoically spent countless hours going through tiring details, from invitation samples to china patterns. Having someone to talk about it before making her final decision helped Sam immensely. There were moments when his good disposition made her think how lucky any woman would be to marry him.

Those thoughts soon gave way to other ideas. First, she wondered why she had never considered the possibility of dating Daniel herself. Then, she unconsciously started comparing him with Jack. Finally, she made the most astounding discovery.

Approximately a month before the wedding, one afternoon after coming back from a mission, a tired Daniel accompanied her to a wedding dress fitting. She already had the dress on, when Daniel walked up to her and put his hands on her waist to show the seamstress what to fix. While he was standing there, talking to the other woman, Sam caught their reflection on the mirror. For a second it looked like he was holding her and the idea of standing at the altar with him suddenly crossed her mind. That short lived thought gave her such deep serenity that she felt perplexed.

She spent the following week trying to forget about it, but it was in vain. Serenity was a feeling she did not experience often. She even had trouble finding the right word for it. _Peace of mind_ was not deep enough; _peacefulness_ did not seem to express it in all its worth.

She finally decided to face the problem and analyze her feelings carefully. After a long night of introspection and much crying, she concluded that marrying Jack would clearly be a mistake. It was not that she did not love him; she did. What changed it all was that she also loved Daniel; she loved him more, much more, in a deeper and more meaningful way.

Yes, she was attracted to Jack; she had been for a long time, but that feeling in nothing compared to what she felt for Daniel. She could not understand how she had been so blind to it, how something that seemed so obvious now had escaped her for so long.

After a while, she realized she had unconsciously known it for a long time. She had almost confessed it to Daniel as he lay dying of radiation poisoning. He had even guessed it in her words when they found him on Vis Uban, but she had vehemently denied it.

Perhaps that was the reason why she had never been able to discuss Pete with Daniel, but she had talked with Jack about him numerous times. Maybe it was also the motive why, in spite of having become friends with Vala, she still felt the secret desire to keep her away from Daniel; it was nothing but jealousy.

In any case, it was too late. She had promised to marry Jack and she would keep her promise. She was going to force herself to transform her feelings for Daniel into what they should have been all along, friendship. She was going to actively work on strengthening her feelings for Jack. It could not be too difficult; after all, she had wanted a relationship with him for the longest time.

When she realized that it was going to take some time and much effort to do it, and with barely four weeks to the wedding day, she decided to get herself some support. She called Teal'c, told him the truth, and asked for his advice. She expected he would be helpful; what she never expected was that he would call Jack.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Wedding** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel is the Best Man in Jack and Sam's wedding, but not everything is as it seems.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 3**

Jack flew the next morning, ready to face some kind of emergency. He had left his bride-to-be on her own since the day he had proposed and it was logical that he would be needed sometime. The last he had heard from Sam was that everything was on schedule, so he was wondering why Teal'c had left him such an urgent message. He had tried to phone him and Sam, too, but neither had answered.

Sam was not ready to tell him what she had discovered, but she had no alternative. She carefully explained how during the past weeks she had become aware of the significance of Daniel in her life. Nevertheless, she reassured Jack that she _did_ love him and that she was going to keep her promise and marry him. She thought Teal'c was blowing up her personal crisis out of proportion and she pointed out that it was normal for brides to have some wedding jitters.

Jack did not see it as normal and simply heard that Sam loved Daniel more than she loved him. He stormed out of her house and spent the rest of the day in his hotel room, drinking beer and trying to deal with the anger that filled him. He disconnected the phone and took the battery out of his cell to avoid any contact with Sam or Daniel.

Around four in the afternoon, Teal'c knocked at his door. Jack yelled for him to leave, but there was something in his friend's tone as he refused to go that made him change his mind.

After several cups of coffee −for Jack− Teal'c was ready to talk. He explained why he had called him there against Sam's wishes. He revealed that he was privy to another secret that gave a different connotation to her feelings and that, in order to make things right, he felt forced to break a promise he had made to Daniel. He said that he had been aware of Daniel's feelings for Sam for probably longer that Daniel himself and than once he had confronted him about it, Daniel had made him promise not to ever reveal them so as to ensure Jack and Sam's happiness. He stressed the fact that Daniel had not hesitated sacrificing his feelings for Jack and that, to prove it, he had dedicated most of his free time in the previous weeks to help them get ready for the wedding.

Jack pointed out that, in the process of helping Sam, Daniel had managed to aid her become aware of her feelings for him.

Teal'c countered by reassuring that at no time he had ever witnessed Daniel making any advances toward Sam or showing his love in any other way than his usual caring personality. He was also surprised that Jack could think Daniel capable of betraying him in that way.

"Why does everybody see Daniel as some kind of saint, always self-sacrificing and noble?" Jack asked, fed up with the whole thing.

"Perhaps you should answer that yourself," was Teal'c's only answer, but, before leaving, he added, "I understand that all these revelations must be painful for you, O'Neill, but I also know you well and I believe you will do the right thing."

Jack felt tired. His anger was dissipating, but he still felt very tired. He tried to sleep but he could not stop thinking. He wanted to be mad at Daniel, but he had no reasons; he wanted to be mad at Sam, but he cared too much for her; and, at the bottom of his heart he was starting to feel relieved. He had been feeling a knot in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about going back to the married life. His first try had failed painfully and he was not sure anymore that he wanted to try again. Besides, having children, something Sam surely wanted, scared him above everything else.

Now, he was being offered an escape route and he was tempted to take it while making Sam and Daniel happy at the same time. After all, Sam had not betrayed him. She was willing to give up Daniel to keep her promise to him and he believed that, without Teal'c's intervention, he may not have ever known. It was not her fault that she loved one more than the other and, when he really thought about it, he could see how his two friends complemented each other much better than he would with Sam.

Daniel had not betrayed him either. He was not only suppressing his own feelings, but also taking care of all the tasks _he_ should have been doing with Sam. If he had not been so unwilling to be part of his own wedding preparations, maybe Sam would have never realized what she felt for Daniel… or she would have realized later on, after they were married, and that would have been probably worse.

By the next morning, Jack was ready to give up Sam. The problem was that Daniel would never admit what he felt for her if that meant in any way harm Jack for his own benefit. Though he personally did not consider Daniel as perfect as many did, Jack knew him too well to have any doubts about it. In his value's hierarchy, friendship was pretty high. Consequently, what Jack needed before going to see Sam and taking her out of her misery, was a plan. A plan to trick Daniel into acknowledging his feelings for her.

Around noon, he had come up with a pretty good sketch of what to do. He was going to _outsmart_ Daniel. He liked that word. The mere idea of _outsmarting_ Daniel made him grin.

He drove to Sam's house to tell her what he had decided and to ask for some technical support. He found that Teal'c had brought her lunch and they were sharing it in her kitchen. Better; it was easier to talk with both at the same time.

Teal'c tried to leave them alone to talk, but Jack insisted that he stayed. He wanted him to tell Sam what he knew, so that she could see what had helped him make his decision. It was not that he did not want to marry her anymore; he just thought that she would be happier with Daniel.

Sam was stunned. She had never noticed any hints of Daniel's feelings. Jack surprised her even more when he laid out his plan. He emphasized that the important matter at that point was to get everything in place before the wedding. There was not much time left.

In the next days, they all cooperated to make it work. Luckily, Colorado does not require any tests before a marriage and that helped them. There is not a waiting period either, so Jack and Sam had not gotten a marriage license yet. Now, they needed to get one with Daniel's name, but telling him to get one would not help Jack's plan. He called Hank Landry, arranged for Daniel to be put on a short mission with another team and, then, during the week, he called Cameron Mitchell, explained the whole situation to him and asked him to apply for the license as Daniel. With a pair of glasses, he would not look that different.

Cam wondered if his friends had gone insane, but after almost two years in SG-1 he had realized that the team did not longer function with the rules that applied to the rest of the world. Who knew what had really happened in any of those missions they had shared off-world. He was pretty certain that not all the details were in the reports.

He promised to keep the secret and, with a death certificate of Sha're in hand, he went for the license with Sam.

Meanwhile, Sam talked to her brother, cited reasons of national security to keep the secret −it was her usual excuse and there was no time to change it− and arranged for new invitations to be printed overnight. She was very grateful that the she had left mailing the invitations as that week's task or she would not have been able to explain the changes to the guests.

The rest was much easier. Jack got a tuxedo for the groom and Daniel himself helped Sam get all the other details in place without knowing it was all for him.

The day of the wedding, Mark Carter got to the improvised chapel just in time to sit in the back with his family and smile at Sam as she walked by him with Jack. He did not know any of the people around him and he felt somehow relieved that the older gentleman had taken his place.

Jack guided Sam to her spot in front of the altar and then turned toward Daniel and stretched out his hand.

"Daniel," he said in an inviting tone and with a smile.

Daniel hesitated for a second before giving him the wedding rings he was keeping. At that time, Jack carefully grabbed Daniel's hand and pulled him towards Sam. Daniel complied with a confused expression that Jack hoped the priest did not understand. It had been hard enough to convince him that they could not have a priest in the rehearsal −more national security reasons− and now the groom looked as if he did not know what was going on.

As soon as Daniel was standing by Sam's side, Jack whispered, "She's all yours. You'd better make her happy, Spacemonkey."

Daniel turned to Sam, who was now holding his hand. She saw the question in his eyes and she leaned softly toward him as she said very quietly, "You told me once that in leap years, women could propose marriage to the men they loved. I know it's not leap year, but you're the man I love, so, would you marry me?"

She saw the light in his eyes and felt the soft squeeze in her hand. She did not need any more answers. Soon he was going to give the definite one. She turned around and faced the priest. They would probably have a long conversation later, but now she just had to enjoy the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Wedding** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel is the Best Man in Jack and Sam's wedding, but not everything is as it seems.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 4**

Daniel made his best effort to keep up with the priest. There were moments when the enormity of what was going on kept taking him away from the ceremony and it was hard to go back to the present. He tried to remember everything Jack had said and done during the rehearsal. Now, it was easier to understand why Jack had made him keep the paper with his lines and repeat them until Daniel felt Jack needed to see a doctor about his memory. It was clear also why there had been only eight people at the rehearsal and why Jack had begged him not to make a speech during the dinner that followed; and even why Jack had called him after the dinner and almost supplicated that he re-wrote his vows for him as if he were the one about to marry Sam. Daniel had refused, but Jack had not relented, making clear that he would never be able to write the way Daniel did. It had been very painful, but now it made sense.

Daniel was surprised at how blind to the whole scheme he had been and wondered why all his friends had agreed to participate in it.

After the exchange of vows, it came the time to kiss the bride. As soon as the priest said the words, Daniel realized that he had never kissed Sam −not that way− and he felt almost paralyzed. Then, he reacted and turned to her. A second before touching her lips, he closed his eyes and, then, he was flooded by sensations. He was certain he had just started kissing her, when Jack, clearing his throat very softly, made him stop. He opened his eyes and looked at Sam, who was smiling at him with an expression that convinced him she had felt it, too.

A few minutes later, the ceremony was over and Daniel and Sam were surrounded by friends and co-workers. Amid congratulations and comments about how surprising the choice of groom had been, they both spent their first minutes as a married couple.

Daniel kept looking for Jack. He was afraid that he had left the garden already. After a few seconds, he saw him standing close by, talking to Teal'c. He walked towards him and once he was facing him, he felt unable to say a word. He simply hugged him as he had not done it in years.

"Why?" was all he finally could say.

"Ahhh… That I cannot tell," Jack joked. Then he looked more serious. "It was the right thing to do, Daniel. We all agreed. If you had told me how you felt maybe-"

"I didn't know myself, Jack. It was something sudden, like a revelation."

"Well, it all worked out and everybody is happy, but let me tell you," he changed his tone again as in a lighter mood, "the hardest thing was to keep people from asking Sam who the groom was after we sent the invitations."

"How did you manage that?"

"We sent Teal'c to give them by hand and he _advised_ everybody not to ask because all the appropriate permissions had not been obtained yet."

Teal'c smiled smugly.

"We needed permission? Still? After all these years, they had something to say? Haven't we proved enough?"

"Yeah, after all these years, but I signed the little paper and that was it," Jack said with a bigger smile.

"Thanks," Daniel said with another heartfelt hug. He then hugged Teal'c, too. "You have to tell me how you did this."

"We will, later, DanielJackson. Now, enjoy," was all Teal'c replied.

After everybody moved to the adjacent area of the garden to participate in the wedding reception, Daniel took Sam by the arm and walked with her toward a small gazebo close to the party site. They went into the gazebo and Daniel leaned against one of the posts to look at Sam.

She smiled, but she was feeling very nervous.

"I'll ask you the same I asked Jack. Why?" Daniel finally said.

Sam looked down for a second. Then she took a deep breath and answered. "I discovered that I love you, Daniel, far more than I ever expected and, when Teal'c said you loved me, too, Jack thought that it was the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do? That's exactly what he said. Why all the secrecy and the pretense then?"

"At the beginning I was going to marry Jack. It all changed when Teal'c made me tell him what I was feeling for you. It's a long story, but if you didn't really want to do this, we can still undo it, Daniel," she added with a somber tone. "The idea wasn't to deceive you. Jack thought you'd never acknowledge your feelings for me as long as he was in the middle. He's out of the equation now. The decision is yours."

Daniel lowered his head and closed his eyes. His typical gesture of defeat worried Sam.

After a few seconds he gave a deep sigh. "If it depends on me, Sam, there's nothing I want more than to be with you, to have a chance to show you how I feel, what you _make me_ feel. I've been keeping it so deep inside me that it's hard to let it out."

Sam felt relieved and tried a little smile. Then she felt more courageous and leaned toward him to give him a little kiss.

Daniel embraced her and pushed her softly against the post behind her to kiss her more at ease. He could feel his own heartbeat against her chest and he was pretty certain that he could feel hers, too.

From a short distance, Vala looked at them with Cameron and Teal'c.

"Look at them, Muscles. You'd say they've never kissed before," Vala said.

Teal'c looked smugly again. "They have not."

"This is going to be a short party, isn't it?" Cameron asked with a smile.

"Indeed," replied his teammate.

A few meters away Jack was also looking at them. He felt strangely calm and satisfied. _"__Mission__ accomplished,"_ he thought. He then looked around and saw a friend. "General Hammond," he almost yelled walking towards him. "Have you seen that cake?"

**_--_**

**_Please, if you enjoyed this story, be kind and let me know. Thanks._**


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